Matched-pairs study of reserpine use and breast cancer

This paper reports on an analysis of psychiatric population. 55 female patients with breast cancer were matched with non-cancer patients on age, year of admission, psychiatric diagnosis, race, and religion. Reserpine use was examined for yearly use by each year preceding the diagnosis of breast cancer, by cumulative yearly use, and by other defined time periods. Regardless of the definition of reserpine user, there were no significant increased relative risks of breast cancer for those women on reserpine. There was a fairly low proportion of patients from each group who were on the drug in any given year, and a fairly wide range of total dosage received. Over half of the women used reserpine at some time during their hospital stay.